Martian Script: A Guide to Chinese Language on the Internet
7 Ways China Does Nightlife Differently
Communist China = Closed China?
Embarking my first trip to China, I had conjured up a few ideas in my mind about what the country would be like. The imagery of families living under strict regimes in a reserved and orderly manner did not fit well with the contrasted idea I had of the international metropolis that is Shanghai, brimming with foreigners and bright lights.
7 ways in which learning Chinese will turn your world upside down
Learning Chinese enables you to gain an insight into the extraordinary way Chinese people view certain things, in turn helping to better understand their culture. Here are some examples of how learning Chinese will turn your world upside down and boggle your brain!
Things you think you know about China
As a country as historical, populous, and intriguing as it is, it goes without saying that most things in China are misunderstood. Due to media portrayals and over-generalized stereotypes, even the most open-minded of Westerners sometimes are guilty of these stubbornly held misconceptions about China and its people and culture...
Top 8 Surprising Reasons Why YOU Should Learn A New Language
There are so many reasons to learn a language so we’ve made it that much easier by compiling our top 8 surprising reasons that will leave you asking why you haven’t already started learning a new language!
What’s In A Name? Chinese Brand Names Of Multinationals
Pick your Chinese brand name carefully...
After enjoying your “sparrow’s nest coffee” while smoking your “10 000 treasure road”, you drive your “treasured horse” to the nearest “family blessing”.
Chinese Language in Singapore
Guest post provided by Guus Goorts from Yago Languages.
For a language spoken by so many people, Mandarin is an official language in surprisingly few countries. Outside of the Greater China region (China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan), I can really think only of one country, the one I’m living in: Singapore.
Chinese Tattoo Blunders
Chinese character tattoos are everywhere in the West: I'm sure many of us know someone with some kind of whimsical word or phrase - or maybe even their own name - adorning their skin in ink. They're popular for a number of reasons: they look prettier than Roman letters, they can encompass many different meanings, and they look exotic to non-Chinese. Some people simply think they look cool. However, these tattoos are frequently performed by artists who have very little - if any - knowledge of the Chinese language.
Weird Cooking in China: Food for Thought
An ancient Cantonese saying goes, 'Anything that walks, swims, crawls, or flies is edible'. Even if we could, in theory, agree with this mantra, all too often we're told tales of Chinese eating habits that strike us as downright freaky, at least by our Western standards. Silkworms, duck feet, fish eyes, soft-shell turtles, scorpions: all dishes that we, as foreigners, may have stumbled upon in China.
In Defense of Chinglish
Every English-speaking tourist in China has, no doubt, come across his or her fair share of 'Chinglish' -- that is, strangely worded, messy translations of English, as seen on signage, restaurant menus, clothing, and so on. There are information booths marked by signs reading 'question authority', handicapped restrooms labeled 'deformed man toilet', and extra large sizes at restaurants defined as 'lard bucket'.